


New World Fashions and Pie

by DelilahBlueEyes



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Rumbelle - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-24
Updated: 2014-08-24
Packaged: 2018-02-14 10:50:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2188947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DelilahBlueEyes/pseuds/DelilahBlueEyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My contribution to the 50 First Rumbelle Hamburger Dates fic-a-thon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New World Fashions and Pie

Rumpelstiltskin had always held a particular fondness in his heart for women’s fashion. He’d always appreciated the subtle sway of flowing skirts and the line of a well-cut bodice. He’d had Cinderella’s dress design dancing about in his head for weeks before he actually approached her. He’d regretted having to off her fairy godmother, seeing as she was the best dressed fairy in the entire country but it had to be done. Besides, the dress he’d given her must have been better than whatever fluffy confection she would have gotten otherwise. Too bad he didn’t get to Snow White before her wedding. Poor thing and her feather trimmed gown. It embarrassed him both as a man who could sew and a man who was not blind.

Now in this new world he’d mostly lost the quiet pleasure of watching yards of fabric whispering across the ground behind the wearer, and had to adjust to so many new trends. Sweet Mary Margret with her cardigans and plaid skirts, bold Emma and her black jeans, not to mention Ruby’s scandalously short shorts. As much as he may despise Regina he had to admire her flare for fashion, whether it was perfectly tailored business attire or entirely too revealing black monstrosities. And of course he’d found himself occasionally missing his own wardrobe His suits were perfectly serviceable but there was just nothing quite like the feeling of buttery leather constricting him in some places while water smooth silk ghosted over him in other places.

Waiting in one of his favorite suits (so deep blue that you could hardly tell it from his usual black with a blue baroque patterned tie and matching pocket square), sitting on a bench at the edge of the town’s small park, he found himself wondering briefly which of the dresses he’d supplied Belle with would make an appearance for their date. Perhaps the houndstooth gown that he’d managed to scrounge up for her when he’d first gotten her back to the shop. Or maybe the deep blue lace dress. The one she’d been wearing when her idiot father had tried to “save” her. It would be good to have some good memories to associate it with. As he gazed off into space, wondering if she’d had a chance to do any shopping with her new librarian’s salary he neglected to watch for her approach. Thus he was startled out of his reverie when she bounded up the sidewalk to his right and spoke to him.

“Are you ready to go? I’m starving!”

“Of course, dearie. Just waiting for—,” His voice froze in his throat, leaving him gaping openmouthed like a suffocating fish.

Rumpelstiltskin was proud of how he’d grown used to most fashion trends these days. Cotton and polyester and cheap nylon, even denim had been a bit mystifying to him at first. Seeing Emma strolling about with her leather and denim and steel-toed boots hardly fazed him anymore but what he was seeing now might possibly end him on the spot. His Belle was wearing pants. Pants. All of his expectations were suddenly crumbling in on themselves. Her lovely legs were wrapped all about with a pair of lightly worn denim jeans, a pretty rose patterned belt cinching them snugly around her hips. The cuffs of the jeans flared out around a pair of new, sequined ballet flats. When he managed to pull his eyes away from those he saw that she was wearing a dusty pink, empire-waisted shirt, a solid satin sheath under a flowing sheer overshirt with delicate butterfly sleeves. It hugged her torso lovingly and set off her skin tone to perfection. Her hair was pulled half back with curls framing her face and resting on her shoulders and a small glittering necklace drew his eyes along the column of her throat. At least one half of her ensemble was familiar territory. She must have noticed the direction of his gaze because she stood back for inspection and gave him a grin.

“Do you like it? Ruby took me shopping. I haven’t worn a pair of pants since I was a little girl!” She ran her hands slowly down her own denim-clad thighs, looking down at herself in wonder. “These are called… jeans. I’m not sure why, Ruby couldn’t tell me but they are very comfortable. And I like the look of them, don’t you?”

She kept talking animatedly, not appearing to realize that he still gazed at her as though she had appeared out of thin air wielding a swordfish as a weapon. When she did her entire demeanor changed. She lifted a hand nervously to smooth her hair nervously.

“Is- is something wrong?” She looked down at herself then back up at him and the insecurity on her face was all to clear. “I… thought you’d like it. I can run home and change if it’s not—“

“No!” He shoved himself off the bench a little faster than he should have and saw her hand quiver with the urge to try to catch him if he fell. “No, please don’t. You look lovely.”

“I feel a bit under dressed now, though.“ Her smile returned as he lifted the hand still stretched out toward him to his lips and pressed a quick kiss to the back of her knuckles. She leaned closer conspiratorially. “Do you own anything other than suits?”

He chuckled as he turned to face the direction of the diner, tucking her arm through his as they started walking together. “I do but you’ll likely never see me in it.”

“Oh, come on! I never even saw your pajamas! It’s only fair considering that nightgown you gave me.”

Oh, yes, he remembered the nightgown. “I suppose you’re right. Someday we shall put on our pajamas and watch movies together, yeah?”

“I’d like that,” she murmured, dropping her head with a shy smile as they turned the corner onto the main street of the town.

Immediately she felt Rumpelstiltskin tense beside her. Since the curse had broken, people had seemed to seek more of a sense of community, naturally gravitating toward the more populated areas of town to avoid being alone. There were some twenty or thirty people milling about in front of shops between where they stood and Granny’s diner. Every one of them had abruptly left off their conversations and turned to stare at them, varying expressions of shock and anger evident among the crowd. Where it seemed that he would have gracefully withdrew, she chose instead to press on. Her hand slipped down his arm from his elbow to his hand, lacing her finger with his. Her other hand came up to hold his between them, slightly away from their bodies.

“What movies shall we watch?” She asked quietly, pulling gently on his hand to guide him in the direction of the diner. When his clearly strained face turned to see her she gave him a comforting smile.

“Well,” he said, taking a slow first step. “It really doesn’t matter to me. We could just stare at the wall and I’d think it a night spent perfectly. Is there anything you’d like to see?”

“I am partial to Pride and Prejudice.” Despite his obvious discomfort he chuckle quietly. “Have you heard of it?”

“Yes, I have a memory or two left over from the curse. I assume you’ve already devoured the book?”

“Oh, three times. It is very good.”

Belle was more proud of herself than she could remember being in a long time when she managed to ease him through the front door of the diner and into a booth. He’d relaxed infinitesimally when she’d begun talking to him outside, but like a skittish horse faced with a potential threat, he’d only really come back to himself when they’d made it into the safety of the restaurant. After they’d given their order to a reluctant Granny, they resumed their conversation.

“Are you mocking me for my choice in books?” she asked laughingly.

He raised his hands in a gesture of defense. “Not at all! I simply pointed out that as literature goes, The Princess Bride is generally considered to be a children’s bedtime story. Even the movie was geared toward children!”

“There’s a movie? Well, I guess we know what we’re watching on our movie date, don’t we?”

Oh, must we?” He didn’t mind really, anything she wanted to watch he would watch but if he didn’t put up some small fight his entire reputation would be torn to shreds.

After she assured him that they must she offered to let him present one of his favorite movies afterward. Reality came crashing back in when the couple in the booth behind him began speculating far too loudly about why she was there with him. Of course. And here he’d almost forgotten how universally despised he was. But when he would have tensed up and prepared to watch her walk away from him for the millionth time, she reached forward and lifted his hand between hers again. As she wondered aloud whether the weather would stay nice enough to allow them to walk together after their lunch, stroking her slim fingers over his wrist the entire time. She raised their twined hands until they hovered above the table like a bizarre centerpiece made of skin and bones. He could barely form a reply when faced with the serene smile on her face and her newly lacquered nails lightly scraping his skin.

When the nosy couple behind him finally left in a huff she startled him by outright smirking and pulling their joined hands to her mouth to kiss.

“I swear, if people in this town aren’t the most stubborn, meddlesome bunch of—“

Whatever she thought of the townsfolk was interrupted by a pair of plates being set on the table between them. He reluctantly released her hand and she did a happy little dance at the prospect of her first hamburger.

“They smell delicious, Granny!” Belle smiled widely as she looked up at the matronly cook, who smiled back almost as if against her will.

“They are delicious. Didn’t take any dark magic either.” She placed her hands on the table and leaned toward Rumpelstiltskin. “Oh, and I charge extra for pickles.”

He nodded stiffly, a strained smile on his face as she walked away from them but he couldn’t think of a single witty thing to say to lighten the mood again. Bless her, Belle took one look at his face and asked him if he would pass the red bottle which he told her was ketchup.

“So, uh, did you decide on a movie to show me for our movie night?”

“Well, I’ve always been partial to action films. You haven’t heard of Die Hard have you?”

Rumpelstiltskin would have given anything to snap a picture when she took her first bite of her first ever hamburger. Her eyes slid closed in bliss and a quiet groan escaped her. Had her cheeks not been rounded with ground meat and lettuce he may have been in danger of thinking he was catching a glimpse of what it would be like to see her come undone at his hands and lips. As it was, he just laughed harder than he could remember laughing in a while and offered her a napkin. She accepted it and had just pressed it daintily to her overfull mouth when something slammed down on the table between them, causing their cutlery to rattle and their drinks to slosh over their rims. They both jumped and looked up to see a winded and unhappy looking Henry Mills, both hands clasped around his storybook even as he bent forward over the table, panting.

“Belle! You have to come quick! You have to—…” His eyes flicked back and forth between the two people seated at the table before him, down to their plates then back up to their startled faces. “Oh….”

Belle was currently struggling to chew and swallow everything she’d already had in her mouth and not choke so Rumpelstiltskin answered. “What’s wrong, Henry?”

“Hansel and Gretel broke into the library to see if there were any séance books or something and we tried to stop them but they didn’t listen and Grace went in after them and I knew Belle would be able to stop them.” Henry looked at him with a bit of surprise but turned to address him directly, an action that made him strangely proud of the boy. “But I didn’t mean to interrupt your date.”

Little late for that, he thought with an internal sigh, seeing the deceivingly calm anger darken his love’s eyes as she dabbed at her lips one last time and rose from her side of the booth. She stood beside him for a moment, her face clearly torn but her body already inching away from him to go and defend her new territory. He smiled gently and made the decision easy for her.

“Go, go. Save your library from those miscreants.” He tried not to be too hurt at the relief that was plain on her face at his words. “I can find my way back to the shop alone, I’m sure.”

“Oh, thank you, Rum. I promise I wouldn’t go otherwise but those kids have been hell lately, even with their father back in their lives and I can’t let them ransack—,“

He held up a hand to stop the flow of her words and gestured toward the front door, indicating that she should go. Expecting nothing more than a sunny smile and perhaps a hug, he was extremely pleased when she leaned down and cupped his face with one hand and kissed him. Promising to call him to arrange their next date, she all but flew out the front door, a storm of righteous fury with Henry following in her wake.

“Another point for jeans,” he murmured to himself as he tilted his head to watch her leave. Her dresses had never afforded such a lovely view of her lower half. He’d have to remember to buy her a few pairs next time there was an opportunity. Or perhaps just show up at her door one morning with an armful of different styles and offer to make sure they all looked decent on her.

“Ya done yet?” Granny marched over with her hands on her hips and attitude rolling off her in waves.

“Yes, dear. Could you box Belle’s burger up for her? And perhaps a slice of your wonderful apple pie as well?”

“Yeah, alright,” she grumbled, though she seemed less agitated by his presence when she left, setting the check down instead of dropping it.

He paid and left a very generous tip (as he did every time) in the hopes of lessening their dislike of him, thanked Granny for her time and left with Belle’s burger and pie. He would leave it in the refrigerator in the back of his shop and close up a bit early to take it to her before she went upstairs for bed. If he was lucky she may even invite him up to split the pie with her in her tiny but charming kitchen. The thought carried him through the rest of the day in a pleasant mood that not even the fairies coming to try to demand their wands back could entirely puncture.


End file.
